5 simple ways to keep the kitchen cleaner

Besides the bathrooms, the kitchen is one of the messiest rooms in our home. Cleaning it can often be a big pain but there are a few simple tips that can help get the job done faster!

Never fill the sink with dirty dishes: If you have a dishwasher, I envy you! If like my family, everyone always tosses they’re dirty dishes in the sink and walks away, make life easier, by teaching them to wash their own dishes as they use them. It ony takes a tiny squirt of dish soap on a scrubbing pad or dishcloth, and a minute, to wash the dish they used. This way you’ll hardly ever have to do a whole sinkfull of dishes at a time! The family just needs reminding now and then ;).

Scrub-less Dishwashing: If the dishes do pile up and get a bit… crusty. Fill the sink with hot water and a squirt of your normal dish soap. Then add 1/2 – 1 cup of vinegar and a few tablespoons of baking soda. The combo will make it so easy to wash away the food particles, plus it really make the dishes sparkle and is good for the drain!

DeClutter the Cupboards: Last week I cleaned out the kitchen cupboards to get rid of all the miscellaneous cups and plates we’ve collected over the past few years. How many sport bottles does one family actually need? Not 20 I’m sure! I kept one or two of each family member’s favorites and boxed up the rest for next year’s yard sale. I know plastic storage containers are tempting to buy in a bunch of different shapes and sizes. Unless you fill your fridge up with nothing but leftovers though, you only need a few. At any given time we’ll probably only have 6 people over who will be drinking coffee, so I kept just a few more coffee cups than we might need and packed up the rest.

Steam the Microwave: When food and stains are hardened and old, it is a chore trying to remove them, especially in the microwave. To soften things up a bit, I find it helpful to heat a cup of water to boiling. The moisture from the steam will make it easier to remove the baked on food.

Clear off the Table: It’s true that the kitchen table can be a convenient drop off for school papers, miscellaneous objects and whatever else the family leaves lying around. Don’t let it! When the kitchen table is cluttered, it makes the whole kitchen look messy. A messy table makes it less likely that your family will want to gather around it for a meal or just to sit and talk. If you must keep important papers out in the open on the table, neaten it up. Add a pretty runner with a basket to act as a temporary catch-all.

Light a candle, sit back and relax, your kitchen should feel a little cleaner now!

Henrietta Newman is a tech loving, video game playing, pr friendly single mom / gramma blogger who talks about life with a teen daughter, an adult son, a toddler granddaughter and all that it entails. Subscribe to A Hen's Nest for giveaways, delicious family recipes, reviews and more!

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Comments

Nice guidance, I find its easier to keep a clean kitchen clean, once I sense it starting to go I lose interest in keeping it nice and it can go downhill in a hurry.

I have had a few dishwashers but I have never had much luck with them, I dont think they work. The smell that comes out of mine if you upen it is not something many could stand. It just stays shut and does nothing, I will not be buying another one!